طراحی سیستم های کار پایدار: نیاز به یک رویکرد سیستم ها

There is a growing discussion concerning sustainability. While this discussion was at first mainly focused on a society level – and sometimes regarding especially environmental problems, one can now see that this topic is of increasing relevance for companies worldwide and even the social dimension of this three pillar approach is gaining more and more importance. This leads to some questions: Is sustainability already a part of human factors thinking or do we have to further develop our discipline? How can we define sustainable work systems? What are the topics we have to consider? Do we need a new systems ergonomics perspective regarding whole value creation chains and a life-cycle perspective concerning products (and work systems)? How can we deal with potential contradictions about social, ecological, and economic goals?

As seen in the past, to “market” Ergonomics as a “stand-alone-solution” has not always been successful. The topic of sustainability offers the chance to include the concept of ergonomics or human factors in a worldwide relevant topic. There are some similarities which deliver a chance for inclusion as human factors is very much related to social sustainability – not forgetting the economic and ecological dimension. As sustainability is in the danger to become “only” a vogue term it is necessary to develop respective assessment and design concepts related to work systems. Conflicts of interest exist but they are also a function of the time perspective. A broader time perspective can change conflicts in congruencies. But there is also a need for a different understanding of the overall performance of a company which can be seen in following the discussion about corporate social responsibility. This will generate new chances for human factors if a systems approach is offered including the three dimensions of sustainability.